Trio held over PE school protest violence

PORT ELIZABETH: Calm returned to Port Elizabeth’s northern areas after protests erupted yesterday morning in anger over the alleged closure of schools and a lack of teachers.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Miranda Mills said that police had to use stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse protesters.

“It has calmed down a lot. The situation is slowly returning to normal. There are negotiations taking place at the moment,” she said.

Mills said allegations that police had used live ammunition on the protesters were untrue. “We did not fire any live ammunition. Shots (of live ammunition) were fired at the police.”

Parents, pupils and even taxi drivers reportedly took part in the protests that erupted yesterday morning, with protesters also complaining about a lack of basic infrastructure at the schools.

Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said that three people had been arrested and were facing charges of public violence.

Janse van Rensburg said it was difficult to determine the number of protesters involved. She said initial reports indicated that three people had been injured, but warned this figure could rise.

Eastern Cape Education Department spokesperson Loyiso Pulumani said the protests followed the closure of 23 schools in the area by the Northern Areas Forum.

“We have been shocked by the violence. This… has nothing to do with the issues. We didn’t close the schools.”

He said the Northern Areas Forum had closed the schools at the start of the third term last week.

Pulumani said the Education Department’s acting superintendent general, Ray Tywakadi, had held a meeting with the governing bodies of schools from the northern areas.

The main issues raised were the number of teaching vacancies that had been caused by natural attrition and promotions.

There was also dissatisfaction that nonteaching posts had also not been filled. The third issue was the conversion of schools to Section 21 schools – schools that manage their own budgets.

Agreement had been reached on these issues and principals would begin the process of filling vacant posts today. The Northern Areas Forum could not immediately be reached for comment.